March of the RI Monosynths: KARP Odyssey v. MS20m v. Roland SE-02

[stevejamsecono]

Looks like I've got a Christmas bonus coming and I'm considering grabbing a monosynth to play with. I've already got an Arturia Minibrute that i like quite a bit, but I'd like something vintagey with multiple oscillators and a bit more options to get some fatter sounds. I've narrowed it down to these three -- they all seem to sound good and seem reasonably priced for what they are.

Any favorites? Preferences? Obviously they each have their own sonic signature so that's to be taken into account, but I think any of them could be fun.

[Maggieo]

::cough::Moog::cough::

[stevejamsecono]

::cough::Moog::cough::

I hate to say it but I haven't been into any of the recent Moog stuff. Love the sounds of yore (hence the SE-02) but the Grandmother didn't really do it for me.

[JSett]

I briefly had a Moog Subsequent 25 and it was divine. I fed it into a full-range bass stack in my spare room and I thought the foundations were going to crumble

[Zork]

I still believe the Novation Bass Station II is the best bang for the buck that ever was. Pretty much everything about it is great: Great sound, great features, great layout, great quality, great design, great price.

Out of the bunch I would probably choose the Odyssey: The SE-02 is super tiny and it's just no fun to twiddle with those tiny, tiny knobs. The knobs of MS20m are very wobbly and the whole thing feels plasticy and cheap in my opinion which the mini keys don't make any better. Sound is very good, though. Odyssey is a nice little synth but I still advise to look at the Bass Station 2 (for the patch memory alone...).

[redchapterjubilee]

The MS-20 is a buzzsaw. It cuts through a mix like crazy. It’s a fun effects processor too and I love the pitch follower. I’d also recommend Arturia and Novation as well as Behringer. Bummer you don’t like the grandmother, as that’s a great catch all synthesizer.

[stevejamsecono]

I still believe the Novation Bass Station II is the best bang for the buck that ever was. Pretty much everything about it is great: Great sound, great features, great layout, great quality, great design, great price.

Out of the bunch I would probably choose the Odyssey: The SE-02 is super tiny and it's just no fun to twiddle with those tiny, tiny knobs. The knobs of MS20m are very wobbly and the whole thing feels plasticy and cheap in my opinion which the mini keys don't make any better. Sound is very good, though. Odyssey is a nice little synth but I still advise to look at the Bass Station 2 (for the patch memory alone...).

My bass player got a Bass Station II recently for a steal (275 I think?) and we had some fun playing with it in practice last week. I'm intrigued by it, but having shared controls for the two oscillators and the ADSR controls kind of bothers me. I had a Minilogue XD for awhile and one of the things that drove me nuts about it was never knowing where the knobs were set when a preset was brought up. I know that the Bass Station 2 has an indicator light that helps you 'guide it back' as needed, but I guess it remains to be seen whether that would seem like a pain in the long run. They go for so cheap I guess it wouldn't hurt to try one...

Between the Odyssey, SE-02, and MS20m it's really tough because I like them all for different reasons. I love the idea of fader controls instead of knobs on the Odyssey and I've been listening to a lot of Magazine lately so the Dave Formula vibes are strong. The raw sounds of the SE-02 in demos seem the most immediately familiar and 'good' to my ears, but I agree the form factor and lack of keyboard controller aren't ideal. The MS20m seems to really invite experimentation and seems to get crazy, but I wonder if I'd use the patch points all that much.

The MS-20 is a buzzsaw. It cuts through a mix like crazy. It’s a fun effects processor too and I love the pitch follower. I’d also recommend Arturia and Novation as well as Behringer. Bummer you don’t like the grandmother, as that’s a great catch all synthesizer.

I really love my Microbrute because of how immediate it is, so admittedly I have had some interest in the bigger brother Mini 2. Looking over the specs though it doesn't seem like it's different enough to merit getting it? Maybe I'm missing something here. I do like Arturia a lot and just plunked down on the V collection, so I definitely are into them as a company.

Behringer I had a Poly D for a hot minute and it had some weird build issues that made it unplayable. Sent it back. I'm sure they aren't all like that (and I love the built-in sequencer and effects on their Odyssey), but... it give me pause.

Maybe I need to give the Grandmother another shot. I just think with Moog I feel like they sort of rest on their laurels a bit and aren't competing feature-wise with everyone else. Obviously the sound is king but I'd like to see them adopt some of the more recent innovations into their offerings.

[Zork]

The Minibrute 2 is an awesome synth and absolutely a huge step up from the Microbrute. I had a Micro briefly and have a Mini 2 now and they are worlds apart. My Minibrute doesn't hold tuning particularly well, though, and shows several signs of desintegration: the knobs became a sticky mess and I had to replace all of them and the fake wooden sides swelled up and kind of bursted. It's weird. Still, a very good sounding and very inspiring little synth with lots and lots of possibilities. And it's expandable with Eurorack gear...


Okay, so you don't like memory and presets. In this case I would probably have another look at the Grandmother, too. It is pricy compared to a Korg but it will hold value very well and Moogs build quality is simply very, very good. To me, the interaction a synth offers, the haptics and the feel of it, is very important and a Moog just feels fantastic. Incredibly solid. I have a Sub37 and as stupid as it might come across: I really, really enjoy turning those knobs!

[Zork]

...or how about a vintage synth? A Yamaha CS15 can be had for about 600 bucks:
https://youtu.be/Vp_Ps8VCMGw

[stevejamsecono]

...or how about a vintage synth? A Yamaha CS15 can be had for about 600 bucks:
https://youtu.be/Vp_Ps8VCMGw

Did someone say...Yamaha?

I guess I hadn't really thought of vintage synths since I wouldn't want to deal with getting one serviced, but this would fit my signature, at least

And yeah I hate to say it but Moog just... holds very little interest for me as far as their modern range goes. Sad really because I have professional connections that could probably get me a good deal on one.

[redchapterjubilee]

I get it. Moog is kind of the obvious choice.

My favorite monos that aren’t Moogs are Vermona’s Mono Lancet (super simple to use and loved that pitch could be affected via envelope) and MFBSynth/Synth Lite. They are odd German modules that are quirky and an awful lot of fun. I’ve had several and still have a Synth II.

I dunno, there’s a couple MS-20 Minis used near me right now and I know eventually I’m gonna regret not buying one.

[Zork]

I absolutely adore the sound of a MS-20 but when I eventually get one, it will be the FS version if not even a vintage one. The MS-20m is just too flimsy for my liking. The FS is rather expensive, though...

In my band I need arpeggiator and sequencer and I'm also super happy with my Sub37. Outside the band I currently don't have enough time to play with synths so it's kind of bonkers to shell out that kind of money for a synth that will mainly gather dust the next years. But yeah, I see a MS-20 in my life in the (distant) future.

[tade]

I have an SE-02 because I'm a Minimoog freak but the form factor might be an issue.
It's an amazing sounding, stupid sized synth.
And then it has an absolutely useless built in speaker. Why???
I still love it though.
I have had the three original vintage synths but never tried the other two recreations, so I can't compare them.

[stevejamsecono]

I have an SE-02 because I'm a Minimoog freak but the form factor might be an issue.
It's an amazing sounding, stupid sized synth.
And then it has an absolutely useless built in speaker. Why???
I still love it though.
I have had the three original vintage synths but never tried the other two recreations, so I can't compare them.

The demo vids of the SE-02 sound ridiculous. This one in particular really got me interested:

In an ideal world I'd get 'em all...

I absolutely adore the sound of a MS-20 but when I eventually get one, it will be the FS version if not even a vintage one. The MS-20m is just too flimsy for my liking. The FS is rather expensive, though...

In my band I need arpeggiator and sequencer and I'm also super happy with my Sub37. Outside the band I currently don't have enough time to play with synths so it's kind of bonkers to shell out that kind of money for a synth that will mainly gather dust the next years. But yeah, I see a MS-20 in my life in the (distant) future.

Looks like Korg is blowing out the SQ64 right now so arpeggiating and sequencing would be handlable. UGHHH.

[Maggieo]

And yeah I hate to say it but Moog just... holds very little interest for me as far as their modern range goes. Sad really because I have professional connections that could probably get me a good deal on one.

Minimoog is back!!! Updated!!!